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https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1738-A-War-With-No-Victor-Part-188-/12938276/
Chapter 1737: A War with No Victor (Part 187)
Chapter 1737: A War with No Victor (Part 187)
"Thank you!"
Cedric nodded gratefully at Hermione, then steered the conversation back to the reason for his visit to Albert.
"At our current pace, the last volume of the Guide to Defense Against the Dark Arts will definitely be completed before you leave the United Kingdom."
As he spoke, he pointed to the folder he had just handed to Albert, "This is the latest revised version. If you think it's fine, the next version will be revised based on this manuscript."
"You've worked hard."
Albert took out the manuscript of the Guide to Defense Against the Dark Arts from the folder, flipping through it while chatting with Cedric about his plan to stay at Hogwarts as a Transfiguration professor.
"Professor McGonagall seems to have not found a suitable candidate, and she's very welcoming of me staying. She even mentioned that after Professor Pomona Sprout retires, I can take over as the Head of Hufflepuff House," Cedric's tone was especially complex when he spoke of this.
"It seems Professor McGonagall really wants you to stay and teach at the school," Hermione couldn't understand why Cedric wasn't satisfied even with such generous treatment from Professor McGonagall.
"Didn't Professor McGonagall give you a raise?" Albert naturally understood the reason for Cedric's complex mood.
"No, she seems to think that doing so would be unfair to the other professors. But she's given me a lot of conveniences and suggested that I could find an additional part-time job at the Ministry or elsewhere," Cedric forced a bitter smile.
Albert recalled the situation from his previous life and quipped, "Most bosses are quite stingy when it comes to raising employees' salaries."
Hermione opened her mouth, but in the end, she couldn't help but ask, "Is the salary at Hogwarts really low?"
"It depends on the situation."
"What do you mean?" Hermione was puzzled.
"If you're single and spend most of your time eating and living at the school, then the salary for Hogwarts teachers is definitely not low," Albert explained to Hermione. "But if you're married and don't live in the castle, this salary is just average."
Hermione immediately understood why Cedric's expression was so complex; he was getting married in a few months, and staying as a professor held little appeal for him as a married man.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"If you have a more suitable job, I wouldn't mind working for you," Cedric was a bit down, but the situation wasn't too bad.
"If you ran off with me, Professor McGonagall would probably come to me with complaints again," Albert couldn't offer Cedric a better, more stable job for the time being, and he softly consoled him, "I'll talk to Professor McGonagall about the salary issue. I'll ask her to give you the Head of House treatment directly. The salaries for Hogwarts professors nowadays are indeed quite average."
At this point, Albert couldn't help but complain about Dumbledore. This headmaster was indeed lacking in this regard, and it was a good thing he had such a charismatic personality, or he might not have found many members of the Order of the Phoenix by his side.
From this, it wasn't hard to see why Albert had such strong leadership and why people were willing to follow a reliable person like him.
"Qiu Zhang will probably find a job for herself too, right?"
Watching Cedric's departing figure, Hermione voiced her inner confusion.
"The most common scenario is similar to the Weasley family's situation," Albert said meaningfully. "The husband works outside, and the wife stays home to take care of the children. Once Cedric gets married, there's a high chance that children will soon follow."
"I never expected it to be like this!" Hermione quickly realized the reason.
To be honest, her family wasn't poor one, and even if she stayed in the United Kingdom alone, Albert would take care of her. She didn't have to worry about Galleons, nor did she feel the urgency of starting a new life after leaving school.
Or, she didn't need that urgency. Even if she didn't work, Albert would most likely support her.
"I wonder what that life is like," Hermione murmured.
"It's definitely not as wonderful as you imagine," Albert patted his knee, "The adult world is much crueler than you think. Many people wake up every day worrying about the Galleons in their pockets."
"It seems I'm quite lucky then."
Although Hermione didn't think she would encounter this issue after graduation, she still felt reassured to have a solid backup.
"Of course, it's a blessing many girls yearn for."
"Should I have a child for you then?" Hermione turned to look at Albert and asked.
"Don't think too much about it until you're fully prepared," Albert kissed Hermione's forehead, "Otherwise, it will become a burden that weighs you down."
"Isn't Louise afraid?"
Hermione didn't think Louise's situation was much better than hers, nor did she believe Louise's pregnancy could be hidden from her family.
"She's probably not afraid because she has money," Albert hesitated for a moment before saying, "Even if things get ugly, she can still live comfortably. Moreover, her family is likely to accept it."
Hermione opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.
"Actually, your situation is similar. If your family doesn't mind having a child to carry on their surname, that is. But this matter can't be rushed."
...
In the following days, Albert found time to chat with Professor McGonagall about Defense Against the Dark Arts. He also finalized the decision to use "Guide to Defense Against the Dark Arts" and "Guide to Dark Forces: Self-Defense" as textbooks.
Before leaving, Albert seemed to remember something and casually asked, "Have you found a suitable replacement for me yet?"
"Thanks to you, no one dares to take up this position now," Professor McGonagall was quite troubled by this. A highly skilled wizard like Albert had only served for a year before leaving, making it even more challenging to find a replacement. No one dared to risk their life to test if the subject was cursed.
"What about Harry Potter?" Albert raised an eyebrow.
"Potter is busy, and..."
"You can have him spare some time to teach the students," Albert said without hesitation. "If we really can't find a suitable person, we'll have Cedric fill in for now. Let him teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for two years. Once others realize there's no curse, it'll be much easier to find a replacement."
"But it's best to ensure the salary is sufficient," Albert reminded, "The Hogwarts salary is not high at all."
After considering Albert's suggestion, Professor McGonagall decided to keep it as a backup plan.
If they truly couldn't find anyone, it would be a decent solution.
Whether Cedric became a permanent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor or an Assistant Professor of Transfiguration didn't matter to Professor McGonagall, as long as he could fill the teaching position at Hogwarts.
Cedric had no objections. As long as Professor McGonagall was willing to give him a raise, he was happy to continue teaching at the school.
(End of Chapter)
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